Gustar and similar verbs
How 'gustar' (to like) works 'backwards', and other verbs like encantar, interesar and doler that use the same construction.
The 'backwards' construction of gustar
In English, 'I' is the subject of 'I like chocolate'. In Spanish, gustar works exactly backwards: the noun (chocolate) is the subject, and 'I' becomes an object with a pronoun in front: Me gusta el chocolate (literally: 'chocolate pleases me').
The pronouns you use for this are the same as the indirect object pronouns:
| a mí | a ti | a él/ella/usted | a nosotros | a vosotros | a ellos/ellas/ustedes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| me | te | le | nos | os | les |
Examples
Gusta or gustan?
Gustar agrees with the subject — that's the thing or things being liked, not the person! One thing (or an infinitive) → gusta. Several things → gustan.
- Me gusta el libro (one book) → gusta
- Me gustan los libros (several books) → gustan
- Me gusta leer y escribir (infinitives always stay singular, even if there are two)
Examples
Emphasis and clarification with 'a mí, a ti…'
Me, te, le, nos, os, les are required, but can be ambiguous on their own (especially le and les: who is 'he/she/you/they'?). To clarify or emphasize, you add a mí, a ti, a él, a ella, a usted, a nosotros, a vosotros, a ellos, a ellas, a ustedes — or a name: a Juan — at the front.
Important: this doesn't replace the pronoun, it's added: A mí me gusta… (not: A mí gusta…).
Examples
Other verbs with the same construction
Several other verbs use exactly the same 'backwards' construction as gustar:
- encantar = to love, to be really into (stronger than gustar): Me encanta el cine.
- interesar = to interest: Me interesa la historia.
- doler = to hurt (note: this verb is also stem-changing o>ue: duele/duelen): Me duele la cabeza (I have a headache), Me duelen los pies (my feet hurt).
Examples
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Related grammar
← Irregular verbs in the present tenseThe near future: ir a + infinitive →
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